How long to wait for laparoscopy surgery on NHS?

[Emcoxx]

I am booked in for investagative laparoscopy surgery booked under urgent , on consultation doctor said I would be waiting 4 weeks for surgery.. It's been 5 weeks and haven't yet recieved a date for my surgery, after ringing hospital numerous times I just get put through to voicemail !! I was just wondering how long you all waited on average as I am in so much pain and just want to get a diagnosis 😔

[Hidden]

Hiya, my gynae told me in September last year she was referring me for a lap, it wasn’t until a fortnight ago I was offerered a cancellation slot, so I was waiting 8 months, I’m in Northern Ireland though so I don’t know how long you’d be waiting where you are x

[Emcoxx in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your response! How awful for you to wait all that time hope the lap goes well for you X

[weekari]

Do you know why it's considered urgent? From my experience, an urgent lap was within 2 weeks and would be for specific reasons. I was originally 'urgent' but was then downgraded on light of new information. I wasn't told this until I chased it up and had been unnecessarily stressing about it.

I think for me it was about a 6 week wait after the consultant decided on the lap. But it will vary depending on the health board and the waiting list at any particular time.

Your GP may be able to contact them to request info or push for a date.

Have you had your pre op yet? That's usually a week or two before the surgery just to get a general health check. If you've not had any that yet, then its likely to be at least 2-3 weeks yet.

Bit of a guesstimate but I know what it's like trying to work out how long you'll have to wait.

The consultant likely have you a general wait time but that wouldn't take holidays etc into account.

I hope you get the a date soon.

[Emcoxx in reply to weekari]

thankyou for your response!

No idea I explained my symptoms and he said he has booked it under urgent. No pre op yet I literally haven't recieved anything will try contacting my gp. Thanks again X

[lizzyxx]

Have you tried ringing the gynaecology waiting list? I did this last week and was given a date over the phone x

[Emcoxx]

Thankyou for your response!! I've tried ringing the hospital as there is no direct numbers when I get put through always goes to voicemail 😑 Xx

[Rosie_am]

Hey, it was about 2 months waiting for me on the NHS - my initial appointment was with Spire though so I luckily had a specific consultant I could email for information when I needed it and who actually accelerated the process somewhat.

[Emcoxx in reply to Rosie_am]

Thankyou! X

[Hidden]

Try and speak to the waiting list team and failing that your consultants secretary - hospital switchboard should help. Urgent referrals are normally two weeks as per the NHS constitution so I am assuming he means urgent within his regular cohort if that makes sense?! As previous comment says, you have a preop 2/3 weeks before. I had my first consultation in September and my op will be at the end of June. The waits in the UK are really bad at the moment as during winter a lot of hospitals cut down surgery or closed wards. Sorry you're suffering and I hope you get sorted asap. X

[Emcoxx in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your response will try to get a hold of them X

[cd80]

Was told it would be in 10 weeks by the consultant... hadn’t heard anything after 2 weeks so called and was laughed at by the appointments lady and said he has a back log, you’ll be lucky to be in by August or September.... just wait for your letter, he’s got a backlog of these to do!

Great way to comfort patients and calm their nerves! I get it’s a non urgent procedure and the NHS are stretched so won’t knock it.

Was actually told by my GP back in January that it’s should all be done in 6 weeks, just hope it doesn’t mess with my Great North run plans!

[Emcoxx in reply to cd80]

Thankyou for your response! It's just so frustrating waiting. Hope all goes okay and good luck on the run X

[Char411]

Mine was requested mid February and I was offered a date in March which I couldn’t take as my partner was away so they gave me a date in May, however I did wait 9 months for my gynaecology referral to begin with but found things moved fairly quickly once I’d been seen.

I’m on the border of East London/Essex

All the best x

[Emcoxx in reply to Char411]

Thankyou I'm in the same area X

[Char411 in reply to Emcoxx]

Ooh what hospital are you under? Fingers crossed it’s the same as mine as then hopefully yours will be as quick as mine x

[RachLL]

Hi! I was put in for a urgent lap and resection of endo June 13th 2017. I had my op 30th April this year.. nearly a year later.. keep calling them if it gets too back xxxx

[RachLL in reply to RachLL]

*bad

[Emcoxx in reply to RachLL]

Thankyou !! X

[skygreen]

I was urgent due to symptoms and waiting for IVF and it was a 3 month wait x

[Emcoxx in reply to skygreen]

Oh Thankyou ! X

[Netti451]

Sorry to be the bearer of potential bad news. I had the option of going private through work.nhs consultant told me not to,that she knew my case and qouls give me a thorough mot if endo was there she would find it and it would be 2 months max. After 2 months i called them up and was told 3 months, then 4 months etc.etc. I gave up and went private. When i called to cancel i had gone backward on urgent list from 4th to 7th and was looking at a 9 month wait. Pre op had expired. All nhs trusts are different though it could be that mine is particularly bad.

[Emcoxx in reply to Netti451]

Thankyou!

[Peren]

It all depends on the hospital you go to and the size of their list. Generally hospitals have quite long waiting times. I suggest you contact the gynae receptionist or hospital admission line and ask how long the wait. I know if I went through NHS it would have been 12 weeks but my friend is in another area waiting and she’s been told 35 weeks. Good luck.

[Emcoxx]

Thankyou!

[Denised90]

I had my gynaecologist appointment on the 11th of March, my pre-op on the 26th of May and my surgery is the 11th of June. Mine wasn’t urgent but my pre-op was booked before I left the hospital on the original appointment xx

[Emcoxx]

Thankyou for your response xx

[princessk09]

Hey, I’ve been waiting 2 months and I could be waiting another 6 months minimum. My gynae has put me as urgent but it doesn’t mean I’ll be seen soon as the waiting list where I live is so long.

I started the road to getting diagnosed last July so it’s nearly been a year and I’m no further forward

[Emcoxx in reply to princessk09]

Thankyou for your reply! Hope all gets sorted soon X

[skybluepink]

I believe this is anotherMetoo situation where Men [ non specialists] have directed the reduction of the women's appts treating them as less important /significant . They are even employing Women Medics from foreign parts to carry this out so they are doing as they are told .

I was physically held down for an internal they knew needed sedation for & she was told couldn't tolerate. By the time I had had the appt the laser man re cysts on vulva had taken root in the private sector .

Nobody has been concerned about the original hard lymph lumps that seemed permanent in groin area they refused at GPs to examine even though I have lip-lymphoedema stage 2 left & heart oedema left Untreated.Or the fact still cannot endure internals .It seems as if the attitude is to delay intervention then just do hysterectomy as more economic ? Oh dear !!!?

[Rachann1988]

I'm woreied now I was booked in as urgent last week and had pre op done they have said It be in the next 4 weeks like wondering if I'm. Going to have same problem now I'm In Buckinghamshire x